Spider-Gwen || Caught in a Web

Easily Manageable || Gwen Stacy

"I know you better than you fake it"

-1979, The Smashing Pumpkins

The usual liveliness of band practice was absent as Gwen sat by her drum kit, weakly turning her drumsticks between her fingers. Felicia and MJ were chatting about the epic food fight that had gone down in the cafeteria earlier, a topic that was beginning to fill Gwen with guilt. Even though she hadn't suffered repercussions for her own actions (Flash was too proud to confess that he'd gotten his lights punched out by a girl,) that still didn't stop her from feeling responsible for Miles's likely suspension from school.

Once again, the scene from the cafeteria played out in her head... watching Miles grab the nearest tray of food, his eyes filled with righteous indignation before he launched it directly at Flash's stupid face. Gwen could practically feel the shift in her mood from that moment as she reflected on it, going from feeling lost and foolish to thrilled and stunned in a matter of seconds.

As good as watching Miles humiliate Flash had been, not to mention Gwen's own moment of revenge on the boy that had emotionally toyed with her, it was starting to feel swallowed up by how certain Gwen felt that whatever punishment Miles faced would be all her fault. He might even miss prom, all because of her. 

That last part was almost sickening to think about... not just because she'd been having a rather pleasant interaction with him prior to falling even harder for Miles once he stood up to Flash, but also because Miles being suspended from prom would mean that Gwen had taken away an opportunity for him to make a memory, no matter whom he ended up going with.

While Gwen pondered on the unfortunate turn of events, she failed to notice Felicia cranking the amp up with a smile on her face, readying her guitar pick between her fingers. The guitarist for the Mary Janes struck a chord, the loud volume causing the unsuspecting Gwen to yelp in surprise and fling her drumsticks into the air.

"Works every time." Felicia noted with a chuckle, turning the amp volume up and placing her guitar on its stand before she turned to face Gwen with folded arms. 

Gwen gulped nervously as she noticed the way Felicia looked at her-that mixture of frustrated and concerned that let the blonde know that she was in for another personal conversation. "Well, now that we finally have your attention-" 

"Can we PLEASE talk about what happened earlier??" MJ shouted, too eager to let Felicia finish her statement. 

"-Right." Felicia said, sighing as she tried not to let MJ's overexcitement get too much on her nerves. "You're obviously dwelling on it too much, so don't try to tell us that it isn't bothering you."

I hate it when they read my mind. Gwen thought to herself, running her hands through her frazzled hair before looking up at her friends. 

"The principal didn't look too happy with Miles." She told them, her voice bordering on a whisper from how soft it was in this moment. "I keep thinking about how he got in trouble, and that it's all my fault-" 

"Whoa, hold up there, sister." MJ cut Gwen off, holding up a hand and flipping her own hair over her shoulder. "First off, what happened was not your fault. It was Flash's fault, and he got what was coming to him. Second-" 

"If Miles hadn't started that, the two of us were probably going to." Felicia finished for MJ. "I personally would've pulled out some of his hair that he loves so much, what would you have done, MJ?" 

MJ's initial frustration at being interrupted immediately dissipated as her brain found something else to occupy it. "Oh! I would've pepper sprayed him." She said quickly, digging out her keychain and holding out the pepper spray that was attached to it. "That surely would've taught him a lesson!"